Boyd New Life United Methodist Church
Boyd New Life United Methodist Church began in the early 1900’s. Part of the Pisgah Methodist Church membership became a part of the New Life Church at Boyd. In the beginning the church was named New Life Protestant Methodist Church. About 1916 near the present location a larger church was built.
New Life had its beginnings by Rev. J. M. Hendry who preached about three miles west of Boyd in a schoolhouse. The Rev. James Thomas Lyle of the Georgia Conference came and organized the church as he had for Lake Bird.
First a log church was built. This building was later converted to a parsonage. Rev. Hendry became the first pastor. In September 1935 a hurricane demolished the building. The pastor, Rev. J. A. Boyd, and members of the church began immediately to rebuild. Services were held each second Saturday and Sunday of the month.
In the year 1938 New Life Church became a part of the Florida Conference. At that time Boyd became a part of the Fenholloway Circuit. The minister served several churches. Later Boyd was put on the Shady Grove Circuit where it remains today. Some of the pastors who have served at Boyd are: James M. Hendry, S. W. Fife, A. J. Jones, G. H. Hendry, Albert McLeod, H. F. Wesley, J. A. Boyd, C. C. Martin, N. W. Vause, J. E. Gilbert, Preston Trotter, C. M. Sappington, W. A. Yates, T. M. Texton, James H, McCall, J. Paul Smelt, H. T. Toole, Morris R. Olive, T. M. Goff, W. L. Windsor, Leslie C. Jackson, Ward Richardson, Carl Dryden, Charles H. Covey, David Taunton, Joe A. Hoover, Ron Cichon and Wallace R. Holmes.
Taken from
The Florida Annual Conference
Methodist Protestant Church
Held at
Mt. Zion Church
Lake Bird, Florida
September 30th, 1920
Historical
New Life Church
Situated in Boyd, Florida on the South Georgia RR in Taylor County. Five miles from Lake Bird. Has 200 members now on the roll. Has two live Sunday Schools. One nice six room parsonage, and three acres of land. A real nice new house of worship and always has large congregations.
Paid on pastor’s salary this year $190., $90 on parsonage and quite a sum in other directions. Received 42 new members this year. Is in a fine farming section, and is the home plant of the Weaver-Loughridge Lumber Co.